Krauss - Maffei Leopard 1A4 to 1A5 Series Germarry The Leopard 1A4 was the last production model of the Leopard 1 series and is virtually the same as the Leopard 1 A3 but with a computerised fire control system coupled to a fully stabilised main armament in place of the gunner's mechanically linked stereoscopic rangefinder sight. A total of 250 were built of which 150 have been transferred to Turkey as military aid, after modification to the new build Leopard 1T1 (1A3) standard already in service with the Turkish Army. In the early eighties West Germany trialled a number of computerised fire control systems in the Leopard 1 MET
for a proposed retrofit package. The system chosen was the EMES 18 and this, together with a passive thermal imaging night fighting system, was used from 1986 to 1992 to upgrade 1300 Leopard 1A1A1 and Leopard 1A1A2 vehicles to the Leopard 1A5 standard. However, this conversion was originally to be an interim standard as a further modification package was deemed necessary to improve the tank's battlefield survivability factor by enhancing the armour protection with add-on armour and adding additional protection systems such as an explosion suppression unit to
the turret area. This variant was to be designated Leopard 1A6. A batch of 75 upgraded Leopard 1 AS tanks has beer passed to Greece by the Germans. A number of combat support vehicle types have either been built on 01 converted from the basic Leopard 1 chassis. These include the Bergepanze] and the Product-improved Bergepanzei ARVs, the Pionierpanzer 1 anc Pionierpanzer 2 AEVs and the Bibei AVLB. There is also a tank dozer conversior kit used on the Leopard 1 and 2 variants
